Are diverse companies more successful?

CBS.MarketWatch.com

NEW YORK (CBS.MW) -- Does diversity lead to higher profits and a higher stock price? If a company is thought of as "well-managed," does that mean it has an effective diversity program?

According to HR magazine, some of today's most successful companies, including MicrosoftMSFT, -3.39%
and Intel"
score better than average on measures of diversity. Is there a relationship between a company's diversity and its success? Avon
AVP, -2.35%
for example, is widely regarded as a well-managed company and one of the best places to work for minorities and women -- and it recently named a woman, Andrea Jung, as CEO. The article concludes that it may be a chicken-and-egg question: Is top talent across all groups attracted to companies that perform better, or do the companies perform so well because they are diverse? See full story.

Virtual drugstores a bust?

A report in The Economist suggests that Web drugstores, such as Drugstore.com
dscm
PlanetRx.com
plrx
and Soma.com, are not doing as well as projected, even though they have high-profile investors and very experienced management. The article says part of the problem is how the healthcare industry covers prescriptions. But could it also be a deep-seated psychological desire to know who is filling your prescription, or even wondering who else might see -- and use -- your personal medical information out there on the Web? See full story.

Privacy on the Web -- not

Is it skeptical or paranoid to assume that everywhere you go on the Web, the sites are collecting information about you? Upside magazine's Richard L. Brandt acknowledges that yes, sites do gather information about your Web habits, and wonders whether there should be governmental regulation. See full story.

Olympic tickets

What?s the secret to getting great tickets to the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, Australia? Microsoft CEO Bill Gates must know, because he?s got them. The AP reports that Gates bought his through a Sydney broker -- even though they?re technically not on sale to the public yet. Of course, the other way to get great tickets is ? you guessed it, to be a sponsor. See full story.

Executive postings

Kenneth Wong, formerly president of Walt Disney
DIS, -0.66%
Imagineering, will become chairman and CEO of Pop.com, an Internet entertainment company founded by Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard, among others. See news release.

Lanac.com, a bridal registry and giftware e-shop that has a two-year arrangement with America Onlineaol
has appointed Eli Katz as its new chief executive officer. Katz is the founder of FragranceCounter.com, currently IBeauty.com. See news release.

MainControl, Inc., a privately held software company, has appointed Dr. Carl H. Hahn to its board of directors. Hahn was chairman of Volkswagen Group and former CEO of Volkswagen of America. Currently, Hahn sits on the boards of Perot Systems Corp
PER, +4.04%
(US), Benetton
BNG, +10.53%
(Italy), Gerling-Konzern, Thyssen (Germany) and TRW
TRW, -4.88%
See news release.

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